Lately there has been alot of Skiles debates going on and Sparky is on record saying that Skiles will not be here next year, win or lose. He said he knows it, and we obviously know about the whole desk clearing debacle this past summer. So going with that thought, who do you want to bring in as the coach assuming Skiles is out? What candidates are out there that you think are a realistic option, can move the needle, and a fit that can make a difference with this roster?

From a name standpoint Jerry Sloan would be the one that is out there and would grab some attention. But he is hard nosed as well, which many feel is a negative of Skiles.

I don't know many hot assistants right now, sure there are many, but I don't know if an unproven coach would be a good choice right now. We've seen guys like that flop in the past (Larry K, Porter). I know we've had Kelvin Sampson here in the past and Sam Cassell is going to be a popular name. I don't know if Sam I Am is ready, but he could be a good fit for the players and generate some buzz within the fan base.

I don't think there is anybody in house. Sidney Moncrief would be the only one I'd consider.

I'm not sure what re-treads are out there. Maybe someone like Eric Musselman.

I can't see Kohl dishing out a ton of cash to get a guy like Sloan. He's paid Skiles fairly well, and after he did that with Karl you saw cheap guys brought in like Porter followed by Stotts.

Or does it even matter? If you don't like the talent, then probably not.

1. Kelvin Sampson - He's rumored right now for the Nets coaching gig, I know he was interviewed for the TWolves job, and he has a history with the organization. As an assistant coach, when we drafted Jennings, it was Sampson who would go the Cousins center and work with him late at night, and I really feel he would be an ideal coaching candidate for the Bucks.

2. Sam Cassell - I love his energy and enthusiasm for the game, he's been an assistant for a few years now, and I'm not sure if he's quite ready for the next step, I think he's a good wild card option. We all know Skiles has his communication issues, and I think Sam would do a good job of communicating with his players, and I think these guys would have a lot of fun playing for Sam.

3. Mike Budenholzer - He's been Popovich's head assistant for a long time, he might not be a real flashy choice, but I could see him getting a shot somewhere soon.

I can't recall, but does anyone know why Sampson jumped ship to Houston? Was it technically the head assistant compared to not that here? It seems inevitable that he is going to get a head coaching job somewhere.

My biggest concern with Cassell is I don't know how good he is from a scheme standpoint. I think he would be an 180 from Skiles in the communication area. Sammy will be great with the media, he'll be fun on the sidelines, and he may even get a little fan interest with his personality and past success as a player here. But when it comes down to X's and O's, I don't know what he'll offer. It's not like he's coming from under the wing of Pops or the Zen Master. That would be my biggest concern with Cassell.

Nebula1 wrote:I do think it really depends on the direction the Bucks decide to go, assuming they actually pick a direction.

Ideally I hope Kohl makes a decision on Hammond by the end of January. I wish he would now, but it's not happening. But it would be nice to either give Hammond security of a few years or have a new GM to make decisions pre the trade deadline.

And if the organization knows Skiles is leaving after the season, I think you can leave him be and make a decision on Hammond. I guess the problem will be that we're going to be floating around .500 and in a spot where we won't be bad enough to fire people nor good enough to justify extensions. But it would be nice to just make a decision on him. If Kohl likes the team, re-up him. If he is skeptical at this point, move on.

Nebula1 wrote:I do think it really depends on the direction the Bucks decide to go, assuming they actually pick a direction.

Ideally I hope Kohl makes a decision on Hammond by the end of January. I wish he would now, but it's not happening. But it would be nice to either give Hammond security of a few years or have a new GM to make decisions pre the trade deadline.

And if the organization knows Skiles is leaving after the season, I think you can leave him be and make a decision on Hammond. I guess the problem will be that we're going to be floating around .500 and in a spot where we won't be bad enough to fire people nor good enough to justify extensions. But it would be nice to just make a decision on him. If Kohl likes the team, re-up him. If he is skeptical at this point, move on.

I agree with that, but there is the variable of a team sale.

I would like Hammond to stay, Skiles to go and a new owner willing to tank. I think Hammond would be great if allowed to strip it down and continue to draft well.

I guess I'm not really going to factor in the team sale until it is more clear that Kohl is actively trying to sell. Kohl really hasn't commented on it at all and besides a minor blurb here and there, there isn't much to go on that the sale is going to happen by next spring when we ultimately would decide what to do with our GM and Coach. So unless Kohl is actively selling without publicizing it, which may be, I just don't foresee a sale going down in the next year.